'Lucky fin': Mum's plea to give son a fighting chance

A PROUD Ipswich mum has opened up about her daily challenge to take care of her high needs son Bailey, whose limp arm is lovingly referred to as his 'lucky fin', just like Nemo.

When Brassall mum-of-three Kirsty Barten was pregnant with Bailey, 2, something went wrong.

Bailey stopped moving and Kirsty was induced at 35 weeks.

At first, doctors didn't realise how severe the complication had been believing Bailey's main difficulty would be the use of his right arm, which is still limited.

Now Kirsty knows what happened while she was pregnant and as her son battles to hit key development milestones, she has reluctantly asked for help.

She needs to raise $5000 to buy Bailey two essential items that will help him live as a 'normal' toddler.

Bailey suffered two strokes before he was born. He didn't move for three days.

From the start, Kirsty knew something was seriously wrong.

Today Bailey is being treated for a host of medical conditions impacting his vision, his mobility and his speech.

His right arm is limp, caused by a very rare condition called Compartment Syndrome. Bailey's family call it his 'lucky fin' like the clown fish in the Disney-Pixar box office hit 'Finding Nemo'.

He has cortical vision impairment, epilepsy and the most challenging level of quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

At just shy of two-years-old, he still can't hold his head up or crawl.

A Brassall family has appealed for help to raise $5000 to buy 2-year-old Bailey two essential items that will help him live as a 'normal' toddler. Pictured: Mum Kirsty Barten, with her mum Sharon Hall and Bailey.Helen Spelitis

When he was just 10-months-old he underwent a major operation and Kirsty says more than 75% of the right side of his brain is damaged.

But he's still the light of his family's life.

"If you're having a bad day, just looking at him cheers you up," Kirsty said.

"He's a lot of work but his laugh is just so wonderful."

If the family can raise the $5000, Kirsty will buy a special suit called a Dynamic Movement Orthosis suit to help train his muscles. It's essential if he has a hope of ever walking.

The cash would also allow Kirsty to buy him a Gravity Chair.

"At the moment he can only really lie down on his back," Kirsty said.

"The chair would mean he could sit and watch the Wiggles, for example, in a relaxed way."

For years Kirsty has been seeing doctors at Smart Clinics Ipswich Family Medical Centre where the staff have gone the extra mile to help by holding a bake sale today.

By 11am, the staff had already raised more than $400.

The bake sale runs until 5pm, drop in by some home made cakes, muffins and condiments, or donate to help Bailey via Go Fund Me.